


Discontent.

by clearpurity2



Series: One Step At a Time [4]
Category: Senki Zesshou Symphogear
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:40:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26410519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clearpurity2/pseuds/clearpurity2
Summary: "There's a part of me that feels no regret.No shame.It felt nice to admit to something that I've wanted for myself.Yet the other part looks down on me, judging, knowing I shouldn't feel these emotions.It's something I don't deserve to...especially if I can't understand anything else.No free passes..."(Follow up to my previous fic "Can You See Me?" Post nightmare.)
Relationships: Hibiki/Chris/Miku...kinda
Series: One Step At a Time [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2077500
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	Discontent.

Miku and Chris were staring at her again. Hibiki kept the smile on her lips, happily sipping on her drink.

“Idiot...” Chris mumbled.  
“You know it’s weird if you’re staring so hard like that. You sure you’re okay?”

“You could join in.” Miku added.

“No, no go ahead!”  
Hibiki waved her hand, getting the remaining of her drink down her throat.

“Keep going you two, I’m listening!”

They seemed uncertain about her encouragement, especially with her practically bouncing in her seat, but she really didn’t mind not taking part in their conversation. It was time meant for them, not her.

The two of them could speak pretty easily she noticed, even if it was just casual talk. Chris didn’t seem as stressed, or annoyed really, and Miku looked calm. It was great for both of them.

After all, they became friends first, right? She heard about the first meeting from Miku, which was already amusing enough. Knowing Miku saved her, it had to be a special bond.

Hibiki looked outside the window, their idle chatter fading from her ears. Looking back on everything, Hibiki wasn’t sure on what to think. They got their future back, the world was finally at peace, and yet something felt off.

It wasn’t their conversation was it? Couldn’t be.

_‘Things really didn’t change...’_

And it made her feel uncomfortable thinking about it. Why was she so uncertain after everything that’s happened? This shouldn’t even be considered an issue or something to worry about. But the way Miku acted in training, swinging her arms back and forth with such vigor, it was evident she was frustrated.

Miku still needed help...and she thought this would be enough.

Is it?

“Idiot!!”

“H-Huh!?”  
She turned to face them, banging her knee on the table in the process. How could something so simple and non-life threatening hurt so much than anything she’s had combined?

“That’s what you get.”

Chris sighed, leaning further back in her chair.

“Wh-What?!”  
“Shhh! You’re going to attract attention.” Miku shook her head, causing Hibiki to look around at the few awkward glances their way.

Letting out another nervous laugh, she gave them a small wave before looking back at Chris and Miku.

“Um, yes what’s wrong?”

“Are we boring you?”  
“Eh? Why would you think that?”

Miku and Chris exchanged looks before glancing back at her.  
“You know, because you aren’t talking?”

“Eh? Ah, that has nothing to do with boredom! I’m just letting you guys talk!”

Was that weird of her to let them do that? They were friends, why wouldn’t she? Hibiki was just here for the ride, at least in the beginning.

“What’s wrong with you?” Chris narrowed her eyes, leaning forward by placing her arms on the table.

“Guys, really, you’re worrying too much!”

There was silence again, but it lingered longer this time. Hibiki wasn’t sure what they wanted her to do or say so she glanced back out the window, sipping on her drink.

It was supposed to be all three of them having a good time, right? So why did Hibiki feel so strange? Maybe it was nerves, or her thoughts on what happened the night before...or maybe worry.

_“Don’t judge me...don’t judge me! You have no right! I know what I did, I know how I felt! I’m not like you!”_

Those words kept ringing in her head. Was she doing enough? Was she paying attention? She needed to stop being so unsure of things.

As she continued to stare, words finally came out of her mouth, interrupting any sort of conversation the two were having.

“You know...”  
Miku and Chris both looked at her as she spoke.  
“...people say I connected us. But really, if it wasn’t for Miku, I probably wouldn’t even be friends with Chris-chan...”

She never really thought about it until just now, staring at the two and how much fun they seemed to be having. A part of her felt something else stirring, an emotion that she couldn’t exactly explain, one she didn’t want to understand.

_“Hey! Calm down! This isn’t you!”_

After all, _she_ knew what to do...while Hibiki was frozen in place. 

Both of them were silent, and Hibiki wasn’t expecting an answer but she was also too deep within her emotions to really say anything else. 

“That doesn’t diminish what you have done though, Hibiki.”  
Miku spoke with a smile. 

“E-Eh? Oh, uh, that wasn’t my point, haha! Don’t mind me, just thinking out loud!”  
Hibiki grinned, eventually standing to her feet. 

“Where are you going, idiot?”  
“The bathroom! Be back!” 

With a wink, she quickly turned around and jogged off before either one of them could call her to come back. Once she was alone, her smile vanished, one of her hands clutching at her chest. 

_‘Why...do I feel like this...?’_

— 

“Hibiki, you sure you’ll be okay?”  
“Yeah! I wanted to stay behind and do some last minute cleaning!" 

Maybe the idea of her staying here to clean was odd but it was one that Hibiki hoped Miku would take. 

“Besides, have to go call my parents and see how they’re doing. Might stop over too, hehe.”  
Hibiki added for good measure, feeling Miku’s eyes gazing right into her soul. 

“Hmm, okay.”  
Miku finally caved, sending relief throughout Hibiki’s body. 

“But call us if you need anything. We won’t be long and we’ll bring back some food.” 

“You worry too much, Miku. Have fun!” 

Even after all that Miku still hesitated. It took Hibiki nearly pushing her out the door to finally get her feet moving. And once Hibiki waved her off with a smile and closed the door behind her, she sighed. 

“...”  
She stared at her phone, sitting among a few papers that laid scattered across the table. There really wasn’t a lot of cleaning to do, and she was certain Miku knew that was an excuse. 

She didn’t intend on calling her parents either; she did so yesterday. They were adults, they were responsible enough to handle their business so Hibiki didn’t think she had to get involved much. 

Calling her grandmother would be nice. Maybe they could talk about something else, or she could ask her about some more sewing tips. 

Miku was better off with Chris anyway. 

Hibiki sat down at the table, gathering her mess of papers up and neatly placing them back into her bag with a another sigh. She reached for her phone and eagerly dialed for her grandmother. 

“Hibiki?”  
It barely rang, almost like she was waiting by the phone, but it didn’t matter to Hibiki. Hearing her voice was enough to give her a smile. 

“Everything okay, sweetie?”  
“Yeah! Everything’s fine. I just wanted to check up on you. Or just talk, either or.” 

The older woman chuckled, Hibiki already seeing her smile as if she was there. 

“Want some more tips?” She teased, Hibiki tangling some of her hair in her fingers out of embarrassment. 

“M-Maybe, ehe.”  
“Then let’s figure out something.” 

Getting tips over the phone wasn’t the same as being in person but it would have to do. It felt nice to talk about simple things for once, having a nice distraction from the strange and out of place emotions and thoughts that plagued her. 

By the time she got off the phone with her grandmother, an hour and a half went by. 

Sewing was a past time that Hibiki never indulged in much since moving to Lydian, especially with all her Symphogear duties and missions. But since the world was at peace again, fully this time, she could go back into it. Not as if she was a master at it, that was reserved for her grandmother, but it helped ease her mind even back during her junior high days. 

“Maybe I can make something for her, almost like a charm...”  
Hibiki mumbled, glancing down at her phone. In that short instance, her smile dropped. 

She must have gotten a message from both of them in the midst of her conversation. 

_[ We got you some rice. ]_  
One read from Miku, showing a picture of the onigiri and sushi she assumed they they bought. Chris looked like she was having a good time, even if her expression seemed exasperated. The image filled her with some sort happiness, checking her other message, already hearing Chris through the phone. 

_[ You should have came, idiot! Once we get back, I’m kicking your ass! ]_

“Ehe...” 

That wasn’t exactly something she doubt coming from Chris so she quickly replied back. 

_[ Sorry, things came up! ]_

The thought of them having fun gave her a sense of relief, which made her hope that it kicked away that other emotion that was creeping up on her. 

But now this silence was only filling her head with noise. 

_“Aren’t you just ignoring the problem at hand?”  
“Maybe you don’t want to see her for what she is.”  
“That’s why you froze.”_

Hibiki placed her phone down before standing up to look out the window, not a single thing catching her eye. 

“I don’t need you to tell me...” 

\-- 

_‘It’s been a few months since Shem-Ha was defeated. And with the damage our relics sustained, it seemed like we wouldn’t be able to use them again, even if we wanted to. However, through some miracle, Elfnein-chan, along with numerous amounts of scientists and...smart people, managed to fix them into working condition._

_There really wasn’t a reason to use them anymore, considering the world wasn’t in danger anymore. We could live out our days in peace! These last few years have been stressful to say the least, hehe. But sometimes...we went back to them for training. Miku was the most determined of us all to learn more about her Faust Robe, wanting to use it better than she did in her Gear._

_She seemed so happy to use it, considering she wasn’t being controlled. It was under her own will and we were all happy for her. She actually did so well in it too! I thought she would have felt uncomfortable but seeing her smile made me happy._

_But was I...only ignoring things again?’_

“Fantastic job, Miku-san!” Elfnein’s exuberant voice came through the intercom, Miku turning around to face her with a smile. 

“Thank you, Elfnein-chan—“  
“Mikuuuuu!” 

Hibiki zoomed over towards the girl, wrapping her arms around her shoulders in the form of a hug. 

“You’re amazing! And it’s so pretty on you too! I couldn’t pay attention to it much while we were fighting, aaaaah!” 

“Hibiki...” Miku blushed, a lopsided smile forming on her lips as she watched Hibiki prod at everything. From the straps, sleeves and veil, her hands were moving nonstop. 

“...you’ve seen this plenty of times after that.” 

“Ah, but doesn’t matter! It’s still pretty!”  
Hibiki grinned, still gently holding onto the veil as she made eye contact with a side eye-ing Chris. 

“You two are a mess...” She mumbled. Kirika interrupted the silence with a laugh. 

“Chris-senpai is just jealous!”  
“Wha—no I’m not!” 

“Don’t worry, Yukine.” Tsubasa spoke, opening her arms up.  
“We all can cuddle together.” 

“Sh-Shut up, senpai...!” 

Tsubasa’s genuine puzzlement only made Kirika laugh louder, while Maria tried to keep herself suppressed. Clearing her throat, she looked back at Elfnein. 

“Want to do another trial really quick?” 

“Wait, can I try something different?” Miku spoke up before Elfnein could. 

“I’d like to train against one of you, if that’s okay. It would be a new experience compared to the Noise." 

“Then let’s train!”  
Hibiki immediately raised her hand before taking hold of Miku’s hands. 

“We never have before, and it’ll be fun! Maybe the mix up of long and short distance would be good for us both! As long as that’s okay with you of course.” 

Miku was silent at first, looking over at the others who gave her a simple nod, before looking back at Hibiki with a smile. 

“Okay, let’s do it.” 

“We’ll clear out then!” Kirika spoke up, pulling at Chris while Maria and Tsubasa weren’t far behind. Shirabe was the last one to leave, looking over at the two with a smile. 

“We will be watching from outside the room so not far at all. You can do it, Miku-san.”  
And with her gentle cheer, she left the room as well. 

Miku rubbed at her cheek.  
“This is kind of embarrassing...” 

“Hm?”  
Hibiki already began stretching her arms but kept her eyes fixated on Miku.  
“They’re just giving us space! Can’t train one on one with everyone here, haha.” 

Miku hesitated for a few more seconds before letting out a small chuckle of her own. 

“You’re right. I’m ready then.” 

One thing Hibiki learned is that Miku didn’t have an Armed Gear this time around, but since Hibiki didn’t either it somewhat fit, right? Miku merely had more range and distance while Hibiki had to rely on close quarters...at least if she didn’t want to use certain other abilities of hers. 

The atmosphere began to shift around them, the cold steel walls morphing into the familiar scene of a city landscape surrounded by trees. 

This slightly reminded her of the time they fought against each other, but things were different now. 

Better mindsets, better positions, better relationship. 

_‘We got this.’_

“Whenever you’re ready.” Elfnein said within the intercom. 

Not once did they break eye contact once everything settled. Hibiki took one slow inhale, relaxing her body before feeling tense seconds later, making the first move. 

A simple strike to her body, that’s all she was aiming for, but Miku was capable of flight without issue so she easily pushed herself to the side to dodge. However, Hibiki wouldn’t let her escape from that, continuing her string of punches towards her. 

Her speed was obviously quicker with the gift of flight but all that meant was Hibiki had her stuck on the defensive. She didn’t let up until she felt her knuckles hitting a hard surface, looking to see her fist striking against a shield. 

_‘She can use those discs to shape it into whatever she wants...’_

That much was also ingrained in her mind. 

_‘Try breaking her defenses.’_

Hibiki pulled her arm back, attempting to strike at the shield one more time, before feeling a piece of cloth wrap around her wrist. It yanked her forward, almost off her feet, right towards Miku herself. The shield was gone now, her eyes set on the discs floating in front of her. 

They shot off, while the cloth around her wrist finally let go but Miku threw her shoulder against Hibiki’s abdomen, shoving her back much harder, and farther, than she expected. 

Miku didn’t have an Armed Gear but there were multiple ways she could still protect herself, even up close. 

Once Hibiki stood to her feet again, she immediately looked up to see more of the discs shooting at her, forcing her to dodge and keep on the move. 

The lasers zoomed past her, hitting the ground, buildings and windows, all producing debris to kick up or fall around her. 

_‘Now I’m on the defensive, haha.’_

There’s no way she could keep this up for long with Miku’s seemingly unlimited supply of mirrors. Eventually, Hibiki quickly pushed herself to use a nearby building to get the high ground, planting her feet firmly on the roof once she got there. 

Pulling her right arm back, the gauntlet began to spin, wind forming around her hand. With one push, the spiral of wind was sent directly towards some of the mirrors she called out. Luckily it shoved them away, either causing them to fall to the ground or be pushed back enough that she didn’t have to worry about them. 

That hardly gave her time to relax. Miku was still on the move, already flying towards her again, the mirrors falling right behind her with equal speed. The look on her face seemed determined, focused entirely on Hibiki. 

However, once she reached a good enough height, Miku stayed stationary and merely allowed her mirrors to shoot instead. Hibiki used her gauntlets as best as she could to deflect them, seeing how some flew past Miku in retaliation but it didn’t faze her at all. The girl merely floated there, eyes un-moving from her target. 

Something about it felt... 

“Better focus!”  
Miku’s voice broke the silence, a playful smile forming on her lips. The roof under her feet felt like it was about to collapse; was she attacking the building too? 

Hibiki clenched her teeth, looking directly towards Miku before taking off running right towards her. With each step she took, she could feel the concrete caving, only pushing her to go faster. Once she finally got to the edge, she used her jets for extra speed to at least push her upward. 

To keep herself airborne, she used the jacks within her boots but only until she could get her arms around Miku, almost in the form of a hug. 

“?!”  
“Gotcha!” 

It took Miku off guard, the ground getting ready to be their next destination...right before Hibiki felt a hit to her side that forced her to let go. Of course it was another mirror that caused this, the laser leaving what felt like a small burning sensation against her skin. 

_‘It didn’t feel that way before...’_

But as she was free falling, the lasers didn’t let up. They attacked at all sides, hitting her chest, legs, arms, back—anything that was exposed. And with each hit, it felt like a burn. 

The constant ones hitting her back kept her airborne and stationary, giving Miku more of a chance to keep the assault going. 

This was starting to feel different, something Hibiki wasn’t expecting. She kept trying to use her arms as a means to block but that only left her arms being open targets. 

She sucked air through clenched teeth, the mirrors gathering around them both before simultaneously shooting to hit her all at once. If she had any air left in her lungs to yell, she would, but she felt like she couldn’t breathe. 

However, somehow, she forced her lips to work, no matter how hard it was. 

“...M-Miku...w-wa—" 

She could barely finish her sentence before the lasers stopped, and a singular large one hit her from the front, forcing her back to meet the concrete of the make believe road. 

It hurt a lot more than Hibiki wanted to admit but she forced her body to move and get herself on her hands and knees. 

“Aha...y-you got me there...!”  
She managed to laugh out, her body feeling sore with each chuckle. 

“You truly...are amazing, Miku...” 

Miku didn’t respond but was on her level, still floating towards her silently before using those same straps on her arms to swing at her. Hibiki knew how hard those things could hit, given she traded blows with them twice in two separate occasions. 

But after seeing her on the ground, Hibiki didn’t think Miku would continue. She was swinging so hard like she was frustrated which only confused Hibiki more. 

“M-Miku, are you okay—“  
“...I’m not like you...” 

Her whispered words interrupted Hibiki’s thoughts. 

“What are you talking about—“ 

But the hits kept coming, harder and harder with each swing. 

“Don’t judge me...don’t judge me! You have no right! I know what I did, I know how I felt! I’m not like you!” 

Now her words made even less sense. 

Was this in relation to Shem-Ha too? Hibiki admitted she changed, they both did, but was that the wrong thing to say at the time? 

It was hard to read Miku’s emotions outside of the obvious frustration but was it truly aimed at her or something else? This felt like a nightmare. 

Eventually Hibiki tried reaching out her hand to grab her, only as a means to help in comforting her, but it was her only means of defense. Once she was open, she felt one of those straps wrap around her neck, now forcing her hands to grab onto the cloth instead. 

She tried using her strength to rip it but it didn’t work, only making the grip tighter. 

“Hey, calm down! This isn’t you!” 

Hibiki had no idea how long it took for the pressure to finally be released from her neck. But along with that yell came her freedom, Hibiki taking steps back as she coughed before feeling a pair of hands on her shoulder to keep her stable. 

“Hibiki-san, you okay...?”  
Shirabe questioned but Hibiki wasn’t paying attention. Her eyes were focused solely on Miku, who was now being aided by Chris. 

She had no idea what she was saying to her but it was enough to make Miku cry. Every sound around her was gone, Hibiki seeing their lips move but nothing coming out reached her ears. 

What did this mean? Hibiki thought they were doing everything right...but was that just a fantasy? It only took a few more words from Chris before the Faust Robe vanished, Chris surprisingly giving her a hug afterwards. 

“...Miku...” 

\-- 

Hibiki sighed, rolling up her shirt to see some patches of her skin still red. The burning was toned down and whatever Elfnein gave her to help was really making them go away even faster. 

Hibiki didn’t understand what she failed to do when that fight happened...but maybe the nightmare she had was merely a warning and a way for her to help and see things she was ignorant to before. 

But even with her having it, she kept feeling as if she was failing at each and every turn. 

And yet Chris was able to keep her calm and steady while Hibiki could only stand there and stare before falling into her safety net of a smile. 

She didn’t want to worry Miku or make her think this was her fault...but every time she thought about how useless she was to help Miku calm down or feel better, it brought up that emotion that made her chest feel tight. 

“...how was she able to do what I couldn’t? What was I doing wrong? Was it my inability to see?” 

Chris told her not to worry, that she was doing plenty already being there for her, but it didn’t feel like enough. She was being selfish again, only wanting her for herself, being the one to comfort her and make her smile. 

_“You understand now, don’t you?”_

Her voice hit her again, but it wasn’t Miku’s this time. It sounded like...Shem-Ha herself. 

_“Those emotions, ugly and overwhelming, that’s exactly how she felt...and yet you—“_

She had to be hearing things. The dream made sense but she wasn’t sleeping right now so it had to be fake. Clenching her teeth, Hibiki turned away from the window and quickly made her way towards the door. As soon as she opened it, Chris was standing on the other side. 

“The hell you in a rush for?”  
She spoke without hesitation, Hibiki giving her no answer. Chris stared at her before holding up a bag. 

“Here’s your food. You gonna let me in or what?” 

Hibiki frowned before backing away from the door, allowing Chris room to walk by. 

“Thanks.”  
She said as she walked in and placed the food on the table. Hibiki looked out into the hallway but didn’t see Miku anywhere. 

“She’s coming, don’t worry. She was getting some last minute things from the cafeteria, probably something extra for you.” 

Chris seemed to know what she was going to ask without her saying a word. Slowly, Hibiki closed the door, walking over towards Chris as she set the food out. 

“Told her I’d give you your food in the meantime since you chose not to join us.” 

Once she had it set all out, Hibiki sat down, gently taking the bowl but avoided eye contact with her. 

“Did you two have fun?” 

“Yeah we did.” She responded with no hesitation. It made her chest hurt more. 

Hibiki opened the bowl, staring at her food before chuckling softly. 

“...glad to hear.” 

She stayed fixated on her food as she ate, the silence lingering for what felt like hours but couldn’t have been for a few seconds before Chris broke it with a curt response. 

“The hell is wrong with you?” 

Hibiki looked up to meet the girl’s piercing gaze; it made her want to look away again but she forced herself to keep looking. 

“What are you talking about? I’m fine.” 

“Normally you’d be jumping up and down to hang out with us both, wasting no time. And then suddenly you make some dumb excuse about cleaning when you don’t have shit to clean? And don’t get me started on when we were at the restaurant.” 

Hibiki stared at her in surprise and confusion.  
“What? Where is this coming from? Why are you acting so upset—“ 

“Because _you’re_ being a dumbass!” 

Chris slammed her hands on the table, causing Hibiki to place her bowl down. 

An idiot, or quoting her directly, a dumbass. This wasn’t new, Chris always called her these types of names so she shouldn’t be surprised. But this time, it only made the pain in her chest increase. 

Deep down she knew why Chris called her this, and it wasn’t normally a problem, but she was tired and didn’t need someone else to tell her who or what she was. 

“You always call me that but why? _How_ can you keep calling me that like it’s okay?! You don’t think I already feel like an idiot? I know I am one, stop rubbing it in my face! I try my best! Is that not enough?!” 

Hibiki barely finished her sentence before Chris pulled her by her shirt, forcing her closer so they can see eye to eye. 

“Because every single time you feel something you think you aren’t _supposed_ to feel, you hide it with your fake ass cheer. You think we don’t notice that shit? Let alone her _or_ me?” 

Why would Chris be paying attention like that? 

“Y-You don’t know anything...you don’t!” 

“Really? Do you _really_ believe for us to be that dumb or you some sort of genius at hiding your emotions?” 

Hibiki looked away.  
“...says the one that doesn’t tell us anything...” 

She felt Chris’ grip tighten. 

“I should hit you.” 

“Go ahead then!” Hibiki looked back at her. 

“That’s what you always do, it’s normal, but have you ever asked how it made me feel sometimes? We all get a laugh out of it, sure, but then what? And maybe I do deserve it...because I really am an idiot...” 

Chris was silent then, Hibiki unable to read her expression due to her own blurry eyesight. Eventually, Chris slowly let go of her shirt, allowing her to sit back down properly but didn’t look at her. 

“...I’m an idiot because...I do things wrong. I can’t see things in front of me, I can’t help the person closest to me...and when I can’t figure out what to do about something that confuses me, I merely pretend I’m fine. I know it’s wrong, I know it doesn’t help, but I’m so used to it...” 

She gripped her skirt, bunching the cloth in between her fingers before closing her eyes. 

“...feeling the way I do...feeling jealous and maybe even being selfish for wanting her for myself back then, was something I deserve to get hit for. What do I have to be jealous for? We’re all friends here, it’s not as if she belongs to me only. She isn’t property...and neither are you...” 

Maybe that’s really what it was; the desire to have two instead of one, which only made it worse. Already Hibiki could feel a headache coming before Chris spoke up. 

“...I never stopped calling you an idiot because when we met, you really were one. Risking your life for a person that tried killing you minutes earlier, wanting to hold hands, form a bond, make sappy speeches...and yet it makes you too damn cool for your own good.” 

Hibiki opened her eyes, slowly looking up at Chris in confusion while it was Chris’ turn to avoid eye contact as she looked at the bowl, assuming it was her own food. 

“I never mean it...as something like an attack on your intelligence...and hitting is just...something I’m used to...” 

She didn’t seem to have an answer for that one just yet so Hibiki ignored it, and it sounded like Chris did the same. 

“It...merely bothers me that after how far we’ve gotten, you...still have instances where you don’t...believe in yourself enough. I’m not saying it will be easy, but I know you aren’t the type to give up. And neither is she...” 

Finally, Chris looked back at Hibiki. 

“So don’t let her see you like this. At least, not with that fake smile and doubting yourself. We both know it will only cause her more worry, which we have clearly done enough of. I relate to that feeling of jealousy...but we have to work on getting past it...okay?” 

Hibiki didn’t expect so many words from Chris. She really must have been paying attention over the past few weeks. All it did was make her cry more, moving over to give Chris a hug. 

“...I’m so sorry, Chris-chan. But thank you...I love you too.”  
“I-Idiot, don’t say things like that unless you mean it...” 

But she _did_ mean it, and having Chris return the hug for once made it even more special. Hibiki didn’t want to let go, her heart still pounding fast within her body but Chris’ pats on her back told her it was enough. 

“Alright, alright! Be happy I allowed it, damn...”  
Chris muttered under her breath once the hug ended.  
“S-Sorry, aha...” 

Hibiki wiped at her face, making sure her eyes and face were back to being dry before talking again. 

“I really do...feel that way about you both. Really, for all of you. We can...figure this other stuff out later.” 

Chris looked at her in confusion.  
“What other stuff—“ 

The door opened, cutting off her words, and they both looked over to see Miku entering with a small bag. 

“Got it.”  
She held it up with a smile before glancing at the two. 

“Hm? You two okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m...”  
Hibiki stopped, glancing over at Chris before sighing, looking back at Miku a few seconds later. 

“...actually, can we talk? All of us, I mean. I at least want to talk to you two about something...” 

She mumbled, her gaze looking back down at the table. There was more silence, making Hibiki believe that maybe this just wasn’t the right time. 

“Okay.” Miku’s voice broke the silence, Hibiki looking up at her. 

“I wanted to talk to you anyway. I know...we already did and I know how you feel and what you’ve told me but...I still want to talk about it. And it involves Chris since she helped...” 

Hibiki shared another look with Chris before nodding. 

“Y-Yeah, sure!” 

The answer seemed to lessen some of the tension from earlier, much to Hibiki’s pleasure. 

“Best to eat first before or food will be cold.” Chris interjected. 

“Eh? I thought you two ate already.” 

“No, we chose to wait so we can all eat together.” Miku said with a smile, eventually sitting down at the table with them. 

“So let’s have a nice chat over good food.” 

Hibiki felt slightly better from it all, though the talks to unfold would be important for the future. 

_‘I need to do better. She entrusted us with the future...right?’_

**Author's Note:**

> Fighting scenes are not my strong suit, I am so sorry for anything messy haha. But yes, this is a follow up to my last fic but didn't add it onto it because it still felt like it was enough to be on its own.
> 
> I worked on the first scene probably a few months ago but then sat on it aha. So, again, I hope this is still good enough. ♥
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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